Reborn into a horror game as a bride-to-be, I faced two stunning gothic suitors. I pointed at the black-clad youth. 【OMG! Not him! He dismembers brides!】 Switching to the white-robed one: 【Worse! Vampire who drains you in one night!】 The chat scrolled: 【Look outside! That stable boy’s your real soulmate!】 I smiled at the ordinary boy. Did they really think I’d fall for this again? 1. A few years ago, the Haunting descended upon the world. Every youth, upon their eighteenth birthday, was forcibly dragged into a horror game. Today happened to be my adoptive sister’s eighteenth birthday. To ensure Lila survived, my family had spared no expense. They’d spent a fortune on priceless artifacts and even joined her in the game instance to protect her. They dragged me along, too. Under the guise of "helping" her with my "experience." What a fucking joke. On my eighteenth birthday, my family had conveniently booked a last-minute vacation, leaving me to fend for myself. In my last life, I saw those same comments in the chat. I believed them. I chose the unremarkable stable boy outside the window. But he wasn't the main character. He was just a random NPC. My choice sent the final boss into an uncontrollable rage. The game switched to Nightmare Mode, allowing the boss to kill without restriction. When the rage peaked, the entire instance would collapse. The mission objective updated: Calm the enraged boss to prevent the instance from collapsing. I don’t need to tell you how horrifically I died. The cause of death listed more than a dozen different things. Meanwhile, Lila, armed with her family-funded artifacts, stepped forward and offered to marry the boss in my place. After burning through a trove of priceless items, she successfully calmed the enraged boss. My family cleared the instance without a scratch. Lila, as the hero of the hour, received an SSS+ rating and the instance’s special reward. Only then did I understand. Why was I the bride-to-be? It was all a setup, a stepping stone for Lila. She had deliberately used an artifact to post fake comments, tricking me into making the wrong choice and enraging the boss. Her goal was to get her hands on the instance’s unique special reward: 【The Instance's Blessing – Oh dear, are players feeling dizzy, panicky, and terrified the moment they enter an instance? With my blessing, your next run will be nothing but a pleasant trip~ All damage (physical and mental) is completely nullified. You will be the ghouls' most precious god; you'll be so untouchable, you could ride them like ponies and… well, you get the idea. Tee-hee, being mean isn't nice~ PS: This is a single-use consumable item.】 To get their precious adoptive daughter this game-breaking artifact, my family didn’t hesitate to sacrifice me, their actual, biological daughter. The irony was laughable. 2. Seeing me stand frozen, Lila gave me a subtle nudge. “Sera, why haven’t you chosen yet? The timer’s running out!” she whispered urgently. “Oh, by the way, I heard some intel before we came in. This is a death trap. You can’t pick either of them.” She glanced around theatrically, her eyes finally landing on the stable boy. “Sera, do you think… maybe it’s one of those guys outside? They don’t look like normal NPCs. Maybe one of them is the right choice.” The chat feed erupted in agreement with Lila. 【Yes, yes! The heroine’s sister is so smart!】 【Haha, the main character just has that charm. You can spot him even when he’s disguised as an NPC.】 【Why isn't the heroine moving? Is she stupid? Listen to your sister!】 【He’s your true love! He’ll carry you through all the future instances!】 I curled my lip, fanning myself languidly with a black lace fan. “Dearest sister, I’m not so sure you’re right. The system very clearly told me to choose between these two handsome gentlemen.” I paused, my gaze sweeping over the boy outside. “That stable boy… he seems rather plain to me, from every angle.” I made a show of pointing toward the youth in white. Lila nearly jumped out of her skin, rushing to my ear to dissuade me. I then shifted my finger toward the youth in black. This time, she almost screamed, breaking into a cold sweat. Her voice, no longer a whisper, grew loud with panic. “No! That NPC is a demented serial killer!” Ah. So, picking the one in black was the better option. He was most likely the boss. I hid my face behind my fan, offering a shy smile. “I choose you… to be my husband.” The black-clad youth’s lips curved into a smile. He took my hand, pressing a gentle kiss to my knuckles. His silver hair drifted in the night breeze. “Tonight, at midnight, my carriage will come for you. We will celebrate our union then, my lady.” The youth in white lowered his gaze, his long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks. “It seems she prefers you after all, brother.” And with that, he vanished in a flicker of movement. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I had survived. Lila was furious, stomping her foot. “Seraphina, are you insane?! Do you have a death wish? Tell the system you want to change your husband! Now!” The chat was also exploding with insults, calling me an idiot. I looked at Lila, a slow, predatory smile spreading across my face. This was a role-playing instance. I was the bride-to-be, and Lila was my handmaiden, ‘Lia.’ One of the dozen causes of my death last time was: Severe OOC (Out of Character). Role-play failed. My current identity was the most beloved daughter of a powerful Lord, coddled and spoiled since birth. How could a lady of my station marry a stable boy? And more importantly, how could she ever allow her personal handmaiden to order her around? I raised my hand and brought it down, hard, across Lila’s face. “Insolence! How dare a common servant speak to me with such disrespect?” I snapped, my voice dripping with disdain. “It seems my leniency has made you forget your place!” Lila stared at me, stunned. “Seraphina! You… you hit me?!” she shrieked. “Just wait until I tell Mom and Dad!” SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! A few more sharp slaps, and Lila’s face swelled up like a pufferfish. “You dare defy your mistress? Kneel!” Lila gritted her teeth, her eyes burning with hatred. “Seraphina!” SLAP! “Se—” SLAP! “You worthless thing. Guards!” Two seconds later, two matrons appeared in the doorway. Their faces were polished, grinning skulls. “Oh, dear heavens, Lia, did you upset the Young Mistress again?” one rasped. “The Head Steward warned us. If you stepped out of line again, he would have to teach you a lesson himself,” the other added, her jaw clacking. The moment they entered, the color drained from Lila’s face. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor with a thud. “No, please…” The matrons paid her no mind, grabbing her arms and dragging her out. The door swung open. The Head Steward stood silently at the end of the hall. As Lila was dragged closer, his grin stretched wider and wider. “Mi-Mistress, I was wrong! Please, spare me!” Lila cried, her voice trembling. I waved a dismissive hand. “Let her go. We’ll let it slide this time.” The skeletal matron chuckled. “Young Mistress, you mustn’t be so soft on this wench. She must be punished.” Panic flashed in Lila’s eyes. She bit her lip and, through her tears, used one of her artifact cards. The matrons froze in place, only returning to their senses a moment later. “See that you remember your place, Lia! The next time you transgress, it won't be a simple punishment!” I clicked my tongue. Tsk, tsk. Lila’s artifacts really were top-notch. After the matrons left, she glared at me, seething with a rage she didn’t dare voice. A few minutes later, the system’s voice echoed from the sky. 【Act One: Complete! Players will now have a fifteen-minute rest period.】 【During this time, players cannot harm one another. Violators will be terminated.】 A summary screen appeared before me. 【Act One - Seraphina's Role-Playing Score: 30 Points. Rank: A.】 【A very good score! An A-rank unlocks a small character bio. Keep up the good work!】 【You are the cherished firstborn daughter of the Lord of the Manor. Raised in the lap of luxury, you are known for your proud and domineering personality, but beneath it all, you have a soft heart. You and the young heir, Kaelan (the youth in black), are childhood sweethearts who secretly harbor deep feelings for one another. He has sworn to marry you. PS: You are never proud or domineering in front of him.】 【Tee-hee, good thing you didn't pick the youth in white! You wouldn't have died, but the instance's difficulty would have increased~】 I patted my chest in relief. So, picking the white-clad youth wouldn't have caused a total collapse. Good to know. 3. Lila and I were transported to the Nexus, the central player hub. My parents and my brother, Damian, rushed over to Lila, hugging her tightly. When they saw her swollen face, they looked as if their hearts were breaking. Damian immediately rounded on me. “How could you let this happen to Lila? And you call yourself her sister!” he snarled. “Did you think this was a fucking vacation? Useless.” At his words, Lila burst into tears. “Mom, Dad, brother… sniff… it was Sera… she’s the one who hit me!” “Seraphina! How dare you!” Damian raised his hand to strike me. I stepped back, my voice cold. “Don’t forget what the system said.” I leveled a glare at him. “Besides, this is a role-playing instance. Lila was my handmaiden, and she was screaming orders at me. Is that my fault?” I let out a bitter laugh. “It’s clear the only daughter you care about is Lila. In that case, you don’t have to acknowledge me at all.” Damian reluctantly lowered his hand, his jaw tight with fury. My parents exchanged a look before turning to me with forced smiles. “It was our fault, Sera. We didn’t ask for the full story. But you still shouldn’t have hit your sister.” They fussed over Lila, their concern palpable, and quickly used a high-grade healing card on her face. I held out my hand to them. “And what about me? You all screamed at me, and Damian nearly hit me. Where’s my compensation?” Damian looked like he was about to explode again, but my mother held him back, shaking her head slightly. She then handed me two of the lowest-grade pain-numbing cards. “Sera, dear, we don’t have many cards left. This is all we have. Take them.” … Besides the five of us, there were seven other players in the Nexus. A 12-person instance. The difficulty wasn't too high, which made sense for a first-timer’s run. When the others heard I was the bride-to-be, their eyes filled with envy. “Wow, you’re so lucky. As long as you don’t do anything stupid, you’re basically guaranteed to survive.” “The bride-to-be… that’s like a one-in-a-million role to draw.” “Right? Not like me. I’m a fucking brothel madam. I have to deal with clients and the girls. It’s exhausting.” “Heh, you think that’s bad? I’m a beggar… my first mission was to eat garbage to gain a noble’s pity. I fucking puked my guts out!” Damn. That was truly awful. My parents, it turned out, were the parents of the youth in white—another role that was safe as long as they didn’t court death. Hearing this made me even more relieved I hadn’t chosen him; I can only imagine how those two would have tormented me. Damian was my brother. That’s right, the bastard son of my father, the Lord of the Manor. My half-brother. The more the other players heard, the more jealous they became. “Your family is incredibly lucky. Those are all such difficult roles to get.” I scoffed. This wasn't luck. This was a superpower bought with money. Only Lila was biting her lip in frustration, probably regretting her decision to give the bride-to-be role to me. The system announced two minutes of rest time remaining. After a quick exchange of information, the other players dispersed. Only the five of us remained. My family surrounded me, their faces etched with concern. My father grabbed my hand. “Sera, you chose the youth in black?” “Oh, honey, that was the wrong choice! Why didn't you listen to Lila? It’s a trap!” my mother chimed in. “This instance might seem simple, but it’s full of pitfalls. And that choice is the biggest one!” “Listen to us. When you see the heir again, you tell him you made a mistake. Tell him you want to marry the stable boy outside.” “The heir loves you so much, he’ll surely agree,” my mother cooed, wiping away a non-existent tear. “You’re both my precious babies. I can’t bear to lose you.” A crocodile feigning grief. I gave them a few noncommittal answers and returned to the Manor. The matrons were waiting to help me with my hair and makeup. My game-mother, the Lady of the Manor, was the one to style my hair herself. As she worked, she wept. “Oh, Sera… if that Kaelan boy dares to bully you, you tell me! I’ll go and teach him a lesson!” she sobbed. “You’re my only daughter… boohoo…” Her tears fell like rain. I sighed. My game-mother was a better parent than my real ones. I turned and hugged her, my tone light. “Don’t worry, Mother. You’ve watched Kaelan grow up. He loves me too much to ever hurt me.” She slipped a magnificent emerald green bracelet from her wrist and slid it onto mine. The moment I touched it, I almost laughed out loud. Forget its monetary value; just from the feel of it, I could tell it was an instance artifact. Brilliant. This was a damn good role to have. Once I was ready, all that was left was to wait for the carriage. But I hadn’t expected Damian to be so impatient. He came directly to my courtyard. Smarter than Lila, he at least paid his respects to the Lady of the Manor first. My game-mother’s face darkened the moment she saw him. “Are you here to give your sister a wedding gift?” Damian paused, then bowed. “Mother, could you grant me a moment? I wish to speak with my sister alone.” Her eyebrows shot up. “Insolence! Your sister is getting married today. Not only do you come empty-handed, but you wish to be alone with her? What do you have to discuss?” Her voice turned to ice. “Get out. I won’t repeat myself.” Damian gritted his teeth and pulled a small box from his sleeve. “Sister, this is a wedding gift for you. It’s not much, but please accept it.” I took the box and opened it a crack. A wide smile spread across my face. It was an artifact card. A high-tier defensive one, capable of creating a protective shield. He was really willing to pay a high price just to speak with me. The Lady’s expression softened. She sat back in her chair and picked up her teacup. “If you have something to say, say it. Don’t dawdle.” After waiting a moment, Damian realized she had no intention of leaving. He closed his eyes, leaned in, and whispered, “Sera, I’m your real brother. I would never hurt you. Mom and Dad used an artifact to learn some of the plot. You have to tell Kaelan when he comes to get you.” I tilted my head. “Tell him what?” “That you’re not marrying him! That you’re marrying the stable boy!” I admired my freshly painted nails, a small smile playing on my lips. “Brother, are you suggesting that I, the daughter of a Lord, should marry a common servant who cleans the stables?” My voice wasn’t particularly quiet. It carried perfectly to my game-mother’s ears. 4. Before I could even blink, a gust of wind tore through the room. With a deafening BOOM, Damian was sent flying dozens of meters away. If it weren't for the protective artifacts he was wearing, he would have been a dead man. My game-mother’s hair whipped around her, her entire body radiating a terrifying black aura. “Damian! What you just said… SAY! IT! AGAIN!” Damian, completely stunned, lay on the ground, twitching and coughing up blood. “Mother… I didn’t… I was just telling my sister to… to marry him without worry.” In an instant, she was beside him, her foot raised to stomp down. The sheer force behind the impending blow was immense; Damian’s protective artifacts probably wouldn’t have been enough to save him. I remembered my character’s description. Proud and domineering, but with a soft heart. Judging by the Lady’s reaction, her relationship with Damian in the game wasn’t entirely hostile. At the critical moment, I rose slowly and spoke, my voice calm. “Mother, let it go. My brother didn’t mean any harm.” I forced a smile. “Today is my wedding day. We should be happy.” The Lady snorted. When she turned back to me, her expression had softened back to its usual maternal warmth. “Damian, there will not be a next time.” “Yes, yes, Mother,” he stammered, scrambling to his feet and scurrying away like a frightened rat. A few minutes later, a soft, clear ringing of bells filled the air. A phantom fragrance of night-blooming flowers accompanied the sound, and then, Kaelan’s figure materialized from the shadows. A carriage, black as polished jet and etched with dark gold filigree, floated silently behind him. He had come for his bride. He slowly extended his hand to me, his dark eyes intense. “My lady, I’ve come for you.” The moment I stepped into the carriage, the system issued a new mission. 【Since this is a role-playing instance, you must commit to your role.~】 【Spend the wedding night with your new husband.~】 Wait, what? Spend the night? Was this the kind of ‘spending the night’ I was thinking of? I swallowed hard. Not because I was lusting after him, of course. I was just… a little thirsty. He was that handsome. Would it really be a loss to sleep with him? Not only would it not be a loss, but I could even brag about it when I got out. I, Seraphina, have slept with a ghoul from a horror game. Have you? Heh. Just as my mind was drifting into fantasy, the system continued. 【Player, please be advised! This role-playing segment is extremely important and will determine your life or death.】 【Shhh, don't let Kaelan find out you're an imposter Seraphina.】 【PS: 'Spending the night together' doesn't necessarily mean… well, you know. Please choose the action that best fits your character's personality. (But then again, maybe it does! Tee-hee~)】 Hold on! Didn’t it say my role was safe as long as I didn’t do anything stupid? What was this about a life-or-death choice?! I pulled up the character bio for the Lord’s daughter, reading it over and over. Besides the tidbit I’d unlocked in Act One, there was nothing. Not a single detail about their daily interactions. How the hell was I supposed to choose? System, are you messing with me?! The pink bubbles in my brain popped, one by one. All I could do was hope this act would end soon and give me more clues. After about fifteen minutes, the carriage came to a halt. Kaelan reached in and helped me out. I held my fan high, my steps graceful, every movement exuding an air of noble dignity. But something was wrong. The courtyard, which had been bustling with noise just moments before, fell silent the instant I set foot inside. A chilling aura seemed to press in on me from all sides. I couldn't resist a peek from behind my fan. What I saw nearly made my heart stop. The guests seated at the tables weren't people. They were mannequins… no, more like life-sized puppets. They all turned their heads in unison to face me. With every step I took, their heads stretched forward on impossibly long necks. The puppet closest to me was nearly touching my face, even though its body was still seated firmly at its table! My vision went black, my legs turned to jelly. A low chuckle echoed in my ear, and I fell into a warm, strong embrace. The next instant, the puppet in front of me shattered into a thousand splinters with a deafening CRACK. “Continue, if you wish to die,” a cold voice promised. In a heartbeat, the courtyard was filled with noise and life again. I looked again, and the puppets were gone, replaced by living, breathing people. “Congratulations to the Young Lord on marrying his true love!” they cheered.
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